Decorticating-machine.



A. J. DREW.

DECORTICATING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV-9, 1911.

Patented July 23, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

WITNE'SSES:

6M fdudvm JNVENTOR.

ARTHUR J. DREW A TTORNEY.

A. J. DREW.

DECORTICATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NQV-H. 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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7 INVENTOR ARTHUR a. DREW J'W BY H15 ATTORNEY WITNES ES (Shim H JWW Patented July 23, 1918.

A. J. DREW.

DECORTICATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-9,1917. 1,273,750. 7 Patented July 23,1918.

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WITNESSES INVENTOR Raw/.64: M ARTHUR J. DREW BY HIS ATTORNEY ARTHUR J". DREW, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DECORTICATING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1918.

Application filed IIovember 9, 1917. Serial No. 202,112.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR J. DREW, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Decorticating-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The machine constituting the subject of my invention is intended for acting upon fibrous stalks, such as flax, either while the latter are in the natural state or after they have been subjected to the usual rotting, the purpose ofmy invention being to effectually break up the straw or woody matter ofthe stalk and clear .the same from the fibrous strands, whereby the latter will be delivered from the machine .in a properly cleaned condition free from impurities and ready for marketing.-

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of a decorticating' machine constructed in accordance with -my linvention;

Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same;

i Fig. 3 is a view on a larger scale of a part of the machine not illustrated with suflicient clearness in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig, 4 is a transyerse section on the line aa, Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of certain rollers constituting part of the machine.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, 11 represent the opposite side frame of the machine, which have bearings for the shafts of three sets of rollers a, b and a; two pairs of combing aprons d and e a pair of rotary brushes f, and a pair of rods 9. The first brush f is interposed betweenthe first pair of combing aprons d and the second set of rollers b and the second brush f is. interposed between the seoond' pair of combing aprons e and the third set of rollers c. The first rod 9 is interposed between the aprons of the first set d and the second rod 9 is interposed between the aprons of the second pair e.

The first set of rollers a comprlses a palr of plain rollers 2, a plurality of pairs of diagonally ribbed rollers 23 and a plurality of pairs of straight ribbed rollers 4, these rollers being disposed in this order -first a pair of plain rollers 2, then a pa r of straight ribbed rollers. 4, then a pair of diagonally ribbed rollers 3, then another pair of straight ribbed rollers 4, then another pair of diagonally ribbed rollers 3 whose ribs are ata reverse angle to those o f the first pair and finally a pair of straight ribbed rollers 4. This set of rollers is at sure upon the straw or woody fiber 1s ex-' erted'in. different directions and the breaking of the same into small particles is more thoroughly and expeditiously efl'ected than if all of the ribs run in the same direction.

I am aware that groups of straight ribbed rollers have heretofore, in flax decorticating machines, been used. in alternation with groups of diagonally ribbed rollers, but I find that better results in the breaking up of the straw or woody fiber of the stalk are effected when thepairs of straight ribbed and diagonally ribbed rollers are used singl and in regular alternation.

The successive pairs of rolls in the first set a are laced some distance a art in order that the liroken particles can rop between them and thus be freed from the fibrous strands.

The pairs of rollers comprising the set a are driven at such surface speed that there will be no tendency to subject the fibers to tensile strain in their passage from one pair of rollers to the next pair of the set. Each of the combing aprons consists of a series of transverse bars 5 (see Fig. 3) so connected together as to constitute an endless chain mounted at each end upon a suporting drum or disk 6, each of these bars eing perforated for the reception of rows ofteeth 7 which are carried by a bar 8 located at theback of the bar 5 and supported by means of coiled springs 9 which surround pins 10, projecting from the bars 5, and are supported upon heads 11 at the inner ends of said pins, so that each bar 8,

while it isnormally held closely against the to withdraw the points of the teeth into the openings in said bar 5. This is illustrated in Fig. 3 in which figure, however, the springs 9 and their supporting pins 10 are omitted from a number of the bars in order to prevent confusion.

The retraction of the bars 8 may be effected in any available manner at the point where it is desired to deliver the fiber from the apron onto the following instrumentality of the machine. The means employed in the present instance is a cam 12 located at each side of each apron at the delivery end of the same, these cams acting upon anti-friction rollers 13 mounted so as to rotate in arms 14 projecting upwardly from the bars 8 at the ends of the same.

The purpose of the aprons d and e is to comb or straighten the fibrous portions of the stalks and to free the same from adhering particles of straw or woody matter, and this action will be facilitated if each apron is driven at a slightly higher surface speed than the preceding apron, or other instrumentality which feeds the fiber thereto.

The first apron of the set d combs the fiber from the last pair of rolls 4 and the second apron of said set combs thefiber from the first apron and prevents it from being carried down by said first apron upon the upper and lower run of the same, and in order to insure the proper hold of the teeth ofthe second apron upon the fibers the latter in their course from the first apron to the second, are caused to pass beneath the transverse bar 9 and are thus prevented from floating along on the tops of the teeth.

When the teeth 7 are withdrawn from the fiber at the delivery end of the secondapron of the set d, said fiber can pass to the first pair of rolls of the second set 6 but in order to prevent the mass of fibers from following the course of the apron or dropping or sagging between said a ron and the rollers the supporting device is interposedbetween said apron and rollers, and in order that this supporting device may also perform the additional function of helping to free the fibers from adhering particles of straw or woody matter said supporting device is in the form of a brush, as shown in Fig. 3, this brush also acting upon the projecting teeth of each bar of the apron, and thus serving to free them from any adhering strands of fiber or from any adhering foreign matters, whereby each bar will-present clean teeth fort-he reception of the material from the preceding device.

The pairs of rollers comprising the second set I) are all straight ribbed rollers 4, andthese have a further breaking action upon the stalks preparatory to feeding them to the combing aprons of the second set e, whereby a further combing of the fibrous strands is effected preparatory to the delivery of the same over the second brush f to the final set of rolls 0, which comprises a preliminary pair of ribbed rolls 4: and a final pair of smooth faced rolls 2.

The rolls 4 of the set I) interposed between the aprons d and e are of lesser diameter and more closely ribbed than the ribbed rollers of'the set a. I i j The first pair of ribbed rollers of the sets and 0 serves to draw the fiber from the brushes 7 and prevent it from being carried around by said brushes and the final pair of smoothrollers of the set 0 serves to flatten the fiber and cause it to be delivered in a sheet over the delivery board 15 in a thoroughly cleaned condition and available for spinning in case the stalks have been retted before being subjected to the action of the machine, or in condition for being degummed preparatory to spinning if the stalks have been subjected to the action of the machine while in a green condition.

chine are positively driven by appropriate gearing in such direction as to feed forwardly the material subjected to their action and to cause the desired acceleration in the surface speed of the successive aprons, provided'such acceleration is found to be necessary in order to eflect the desired combing or straightening of the strands of The various rollers and aprons of the ma fiber in the particular material under treatment. y o

By preference, the first set of rolls contains the crushing and breaking elements but this is not essential to the proper carrying out of my invention, nor is it essential that a pair of toothed carrying aprons should be used between the successive sets of rolls, as a single apron may, in some cases, be sufiicient, although in order to obtain the best results the aprons are preferably employed in pairs, as indicated in the drawing.

I claim: p

1. The combination, in a decorticating machine, of successive sets of rolls with toothed apron mechanism interposed between said successive sets of rolls and serving to receive the material from one set, convey the same forward to the following set and, during such travel, to comb or clear the fibrous strands, said apron mechanism being combined with a rotary brush between the same and the succeeding .set of rollers, and said brush serving to support the mass of fibers in its passage from the apron mechanism to the rollers and being so located as to also;

clean the teeth of the successive bars of the apron mechanism.

' 2. The combination, in a combing apron for a decorticating machine, of a series of perforated bars connected toform a chain,

and each having yiel dingly mounted at the back of the same a bar carrying teeth which normall project through the openings of the per orated bars and beyond the faces of the same.

3. The combination, in a combing apron for a decorticating machine, of a series of perforated bars connected to form a chain and each having at the back of the same a 10 spring-mounted bar with teeth which project through the perforations of the other bar and extend beyond the face of the same,

and cam devices for acting upon said tooth-U carryin bars and depressing the same when they reach the delivery end of the apron so as to retract the teeth to or below the surface of the perforated bar.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my a name to this specification.

' V ARTHUR J. DREW. 

